Eric Vail

Eric Vail (born September 16, 1953) is a Canadian former ice hockey player who played nine seasons in the National Hockey League with the Atlanta Flames, Calgary Flames, and Detroit Red Wings.

Vail played three years of junior hockey in the Ontario Hockey Association. Over two seasons with the Niagara Falls Flyers he scored 48 points in 59 games in 1970–71 and 73 points in 60 games in 1971–72. He split the 1972–73 season between the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds and the Sudbury Wolves, scoring 48 goals and 105 points combined between the two teams. He was selected by the Atlanta Flames 21st overall at the 1973 NHL Amateur Draft and by the Quebec Nordiques 29th overall at the 1973 WHA Amateur Draft.

Choosing to play with the Flames, Vail won the Calder Memorial Trophy in 1975 as the NHL's rookie of the year. He played in the 1977 NHL All-Star Game, and that same year appeared with Team Canada at the World Ice Hockey Championship. He helped Calgary reach the 1981 NHL playoff semifinals for the first time in club history. At the time of his 1981 trade to Detroit, Vail was the Flames' franchise leader in goal scoring.